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Will it be hobbled Keith Price, the starter for all 10 games this season?
“I thought Keith moved better today,” the third-year coach said.
Or will it be backup Nick Montana, who has been taking all the first-team snaps in practice this week while Price has watched, including Wednesday?
“I thought Nick had a nice day,” Sarkisian said.
Translation: The team will be informed before practice today who will run the No. 1 offense against a ferocious Oregon State defense while the public must wait until the 12:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday.
“I didn’t ever say I’d announce it,” Sarkisian said.
To insure the topic would not go past him, Sarkisian ruled that all offensive players, including Price and Montana, off-limits to media interviews Wednesday.
The approach directly contradicts how Sarkisian handled the situation last season when former starter Jake Locker suffered additional significant damage to his ribs against Stanford, leaving the possibility Price would make his first start at No. 1 Oregon.
At his weekly press conference that Monday, Sarkisian announced Locker would be out, and declared Price as the starter. And two days later, Price was allowed to speak to reporters about the upcoming matchup – which ended up being a 53-16 victory for ethe Ducks in early November.
If Montana does make his first start Saturday – all signs seem to indicate he will –Sarkisian noted his game-plan approach on offense with the redshirt freshman will be similar philosophically to when Price had the reins for one week in 2010.
“There will be things that feel similar in that I’m not just going to handcuff (Montana). He’s going to have his opportunities to throw the ball around, throw it down the field,” Sarkisian said. “But regardless of who the quarterback is, if we are going to be successful, we’ve got to run the ball. And we’ve got to do it well.”
EXTRA POINTS
Receiver James Johnson (ankle), who has not played the past two weeks, is steadily improving. Sarkisian expects the junior to contribute in some capacity Saturday. … If the Huskies are shaking up the offensive line, folks will have to wait for word from Sarkisian on that one as well. … Sarkisian was asked if Montana was similar to his father – NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana. “I think they are both about (6-foot-2), blond hair, pretty lean guys,” said Sarkisian in a dismissive tone. “We’re talking about the greatest (quarterback) of all time – geez, this poor guy is just trying to play.”
Todd Milles: 253-597-8442 todd.milles@thenewstribune.com
SATURDAY
Washington at Oregon State, 12:30 p.m., Root Sports, 950-AM, 850-AM
